Nintendo Switch 2 Leak Suggests Major Storage Upgrade

Summary

• The Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to support microSD Express cards, according to leaked GameStop SKUs.
• microSD Express offers transfer speeds over 900% faster than the UHS-I interface used by the current Switch.
• While microSD Express cards can reach up to 128TB in capacity, UHS-I cards max out at 2TB.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is poised to revolutionize storage technology, with leaks suggesting it will support microSD Express cards. These leaks, originating from GameStop's stock keeping units (SKUs) believed to be for Switch 2 accessories, hint at a significant upgrade over the current Switch's capabilities.

Rumors indicate that the Switch 2 may enter mass production by late September 2024, with numerous hardware details leaking since the fourth quarter of 2024. Early January 2025 saw the leak of several GameStop SKUs, shared by Reddit user Opposite-Chemistry96, which included "Switch 2 Exp Micro SD Card" products ranging from 256GB to 512GB. These are likely based on the microSD Express standard, which is far more advanced than the UHS-I standard used by the original Switch.

Nintendo Switch 2 May Offer 900% Faster microSD Transfer Speeds

The current Nintendo Switch supports UHS-I microSD cards, which have a theoretical maximum transfer speed of about 104 MB/s, though in practice, they typically reach around 95 MB/s. In contrast, microSD Express cards can achieve transfer speeds up to 985 MB/s, a 900% increase. This leap in performance is due to the use of the non-volatile memory express (NVMe) protocol, which enables highly parallel data transfer similar to that of the fastest modern SSDs.

UHS-I vs microSD Express Standard

In addition to speed, microSD Express cards offer a substantial increase in maximum capacity, up to 128TB, compared to the 2TB limit of UHS-I cards. According to the leaked GameStop inventory, the 256GB Switch 2 microSD Express card is priced at $49.99, while the 512GB version costs $84.99.

Opposite-Chemistry96 also discovered SKUs for a Switch 2 carrying case and two "deluxe" cases, priced at $19.99 and $29.99, respectively. These are likely unofficial accessories, consistent with the numerous leaks that have surfaced over recent months. Nintendo has promised to officially unveil its next console before the end of its current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025.